Moebius Transformation
by Anthropos Agnostos
Summary: SG-1's mission was simple: go back to one of the most turbulent times in recent history, infiltrate a well-guarded camp and steal a piece of alien technology without altering the timeline. Piece of cake - what could possibly go wrong? (A Moebius AU story).
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** **No copywrite infringement intended, do not own characters or setting, no money is being made from this work, etc, etc, etc - you all know the drill.**

 **Chapter 1**

 **February 17, 2005**

 **Stargate Command, Cheyenne Mountain Complex**

If there was one thing that Jack learned it was that the universe tended to throw curveballs. Your Jaffa friend is trapped by a weird, giant hammer? You set him free not realizing you left a planet full of Vikings open to Goa'uld attack. SG-1 escapes from an off-world Alcatraz? Turns out you let loose a genocidal bioweapons expert onto an unsuspecting galaxy. The S.G.C. finally finds some big honking space-guns?A glowie energy-squid with the hots for Carter snatches them and floats away. An undercover Tok'Ra 'captures' your team to pass on critical information? His First Prime rebells, killing his former master and leaving you at the mercy of Anubis.

On rare occasion though life turned a tragic event to your advantage. Catherine Langford was one of the people that made the Stargate Program possible in the first place - the news of her death hit hard for all those who were there from the very start. But Daniel claimed that even in death she might have given them a priceless gift.

As O'Neill and his former team gathered in Jackson's office the archeologist opened a leather-bound dusty tomn to show a sketch of an Egyptian mural. The age-yellowed drawing depicted a larger-than-life Ra holding a device the team instantly recognized even from the crude picture.

"Among the items Catherine left me, this one in particular caught my attention." Daniel said by way of explanation "It's an original 1889 edition of _The Eye of the Sun._ It's, uh, the only one in known existence. It details the customs and the rituals observed by the ancient worshippers of the sun god, Ra. I noticed this while I was flipping through the pages."

"It appears to be a Zero Point Module." Teal'c noted.

The archeologist nodded. "The worshippers of Ra referred to it as the Heart of Light. This is a reproduction of a wall painting discovered by a German archaeologist in 1885. It was destroyed in a museum fire ten years later."

"So, I take it you've discovered the location of this heart? Should I make some calls and arrange for a trip to Egypt?" asked Jack.

Sam frowned. "When the Asgard-sensors were installed on the Prometheus we did an extensive sweep of Egypt searching for any further alien artifacts. The Z.P.M. gives off a specific energy signature - even if it's buried under dirt and rock, we should have been able to detect it. We found nothing. I'm sorry, Daniel, but if it's there, it's probably been depleted."

"It is possible Ra simply took the device with him when he left Earth." Teal'c suggested.

"No, uh, I'm pretty sure it was left on Earth." continued Daniel "I've seen the term 'Heart of Light' referenced before in an artifact retrieved by the Steward Expedition."

Jack looked blank. "And that should tell us... what?"

"Dr. Montgomery Steward had set out to explore several "cursed" Egyptian tombs and temples in the 1930s. He was the one to discover the Isis and Osiris stasis jars that ended up in Dr. Jordan's care."

"Ah... that Steward Expedition". The General cringed, remembering the incident where Daniel's mentor was killed while his old flame, Sarah Gardner, became host to an escaped Goa'uld.

"Most of the artifacts recovered by Dr. Steward were destroyed during Osiris's escape. But one of the surviving items was this." reaching into a nearby file organizer that was "organized" only in the looses sense of the word, Jackson pulled out a photo of a badly-damaged clay tablet. "It's a list of the sacred treasures stored in the Palace of Osiris - a temple-site Dr. Steward studied thoroughly, though he failed to ever find the mythical treasure room. Apparently one of the relics stored there was the 'Radiant Heart of Light, a gift from the House of Horus-Ra'."

Sam started to put together all the pieces of the puzzle "So sometime before being imprisoned, Osiris got the Z.P.M. from Ra as a gift." Sam concluded. "Because neither Goa'uld realized the true potential of what they had, Osiris kept it in his palace as a trinket. But if Ra didn't have it when he fled Earth and Osiris was trapped in a stasis jar for thousands of years, what happened to the Z.P.M.?"

"The Goa'uld keep their personal treasures hidden from others and close to an escape rout. It is likely Osiris's treasure room was located within the secret ship which he used to flee the planet after taking Dr. Sarah Gardner as his host." To a casual observer, Teal'c might have sounded as stoic as before but those who knew him couldn't help but notice the hints of disappointment in his voice.

"Great, so not only do we not have the Z.P.M. but it turns out that some snake has it instead!"

Carter shrugged. "Osiris never knew how to use a Z.P.M. and since neither Anubis nor Ba'al ever used it against us I think it was lost after we recaptured Osiris."

"Or if the Goa'uld do have it, they continue to use the "heart" as a desk ornament." added Daniel.

"Daniel Jackson, I do not understand - when you gathered us here did you not say you knew the whereabouts of a Zero Point Module?"

The archeologist suddenly looked coy "We don't know where it is now, but we do know where it was."

"You can't be serious." Sam proclaimed.

"It's the only way."

"No, we agreed."

Jack looked back & forth between the two scientists, distinctly feeling that he was missing out on something. "Anyone care to explain what's going on to the dumb general in the room?"

"We have a time ship. We can go back and get the Z.P.M." Jackson surmised.

"Hey, Carter wouldn't let me go back and watch the Cubs win the World Series!"

"Jack, this is a unique opportunity. We can go back and take the module without adversely affecting the timeline."

Carter sighed "Actually, sir, he may be right about that."

"You're onboard with this?!"

"I'm not happy about it, but we don't have any evidence to show that the Z.P.M. was ever used by the Goa'uld - in which case, it wouldn't be missed. We would have to be extremely careful to minimize our interaction with the people of the period."

Daniel nodded "We can reduce the risk of altering the timeline by traveling to a point in time close to the present day. Since the site was put under guard by the Egyptian government soon after, our best bet is to travel to 1931 around the time Dr. Steward was conducting his dig."

"Wait, we're talking about traveling to the 1930s but we won't even consider killing Hitler?"

"NO!" both Carter and Daniel exclaimed in unison.

Jack sighed "I hate time travel."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** **This chapter is a bit slow but is nevertheless needed to set things in motion. You may also recognize a certain canon character here and think "Huh? What's he doing here? Shouldn't he be dead at this point?" and you'd be right - just assume the story takes place in one of those quantum-mirror universes where the character is still alive. The reason for his presence will become apparent soon enough.**

 **Chapter 2**

 **September 19, 1931**

 **Nubian Desert, Egypt**

Dr. Montgomery Steward was not a happy man. The expedition had spend 10 months excavating the fabled Palace of Osiris to unlock its secrets but each new discovery brought more questions than answers. Even the site's purpose was unclear: was it a palace? A temple? A tomb? And if it was a burial place, how come there were canopic jars but no sarcophagus?

Montgomery felt like he could spend the rest of his life struggling with the Palace's mysteries and still be no closer to finding the truth. Alas, he only had a couple of more weeks to find out as much as he could. With the university grants for the expedition having run dry long ago and his private funds only able to cover a portion of the costs, the time has come to draw this adventure to a close.

And just like vultures waiting for a quick meal, the unscrupulous tomb-raiders and treasure hunters were already descending on the site. This morning his chief guard Savoretti caught five trespassers, forcing the doctor to break away from the dig to deal with the annoyance.

"Now, what's all this I hear about-" Steward was suddenly struck speechless as he entered the tent were the miscreants were kept. The professor expected to see Savoretti guarding a group of Bedouin raiders or fellaheen riffraff - instead he saw the oddest group of travelers imaginable.

The leader of the group was a bespectacled man in a beige drape suit and matching bowler hat, clothing more suited for a walk down a London High Street rather than a jaunt in the desert. Still, the man carried himself with an air of comfort and confidence, as if intruding on someone else's dig site in the middle of nowhere was perfectly natural for him.

Beside him stood two others - a blond woman in a travel dress & cloche hat and a tall young man in simple labour attire, complete with newsy cap. Though her flapper look and his boyish features made them look dismissive the professor could feel a keen intelligence lurking behind their blue eyes.

The final two strangers were huddled in the corner of the tent, conversing quietly. The first was a steel-haired soldier in a tattered khaki uniform and the second an intimidating black savage, his features intentionally hidden by layers of scarfs worn over a traditional nomad thobe. Unlike the rest, these two made their nature quite clear: they were both veteran warriors, likely hired to protect the others from the dangers of the desert, and could make most men back down with a single look. Smartly, Savoretti kept the pistol pointed in the general direction of those two as he pretended to nonchalantly clean his Luger.

"Ah, Professor Steward, so nice to see you again!" the suited man jumped up excitedly and extended his arm for a handshake, then looked sheepish as he added "Perhaps you can clear up this misunderstanding? _Signore_ Savoretti here seems to think we're ... uninvited guests."

Dr. Steward frowned but put his own hand forward out of ingrained politeness "My dear boy, I don't believe I ever-" as soon as he touched the strangers hand the professor found that he couldn't finish the sentence. He felt a momentary prick from a ring on the man's finger and then a warm, foggy sensation filled his mind.

The stranger continued to smile like an old friend. "Surely you haven't forgotten me already Professor Steward? You met my wife and I in a Cairo coffee shop just a few months ago. When I mentioned that I'm a reporter for the _National Geographic_ you invited me to your dig, saying the discovery you've made will rival that of Carter and Herbert."

Montgomery's face brightened as memories flooded in, replacing the fog. Sitting down at a crowded Egyptian cafe, having to share a table with the bespectacled man & his wife, ending up chatting about each others work over cups of strong Turkish coffee. "Ah yes, of course! My apologies Mr.-"

"Jansson. David Jansson" the man said quickly. "You must remember my wife Sally? And this is Martin Lantgrich, my photographer."

 _"Veramente?"_ the Italian guard broke into the conversation, irritably waving the pistol in the direction of the strangers in the corner "And who is other two?"

The large savage got up in answer to Savoretti's challenge, standing tall & proud and talked as if he was an equal to the civilized man. "I am Tal'ac al-Chalak of the Bisharin Clan," he recited in surprisingly good English "guide and protector of David Jansson through his travels in these lands".

"Yeah, and I'm, uh... Jack" the soldier answered in turn. "Jack O'Neil... but with only one 'L', not two."

David sighed and shook his head at the man's response, then looked back up. "So Dr. Steward, will you show us the fabled Palace of Osiris?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 **September 19, 1931**

 **Palace of Osiris, Egypt**

"So, I don't suppose there is any chance me and the Big Guy can take over guard duty for a bit while you have a smoke break? You know what they say about second-hand smoke, right?"

Savoretti frowned and continued to puff on his cigarette while watching the newcomers unpack the tripod cameras. " _Mi scusi, signor_. Dr. Steward say not to leave you. For your own protection - the temple can be dangerous place. Many locals say it's cursed."

Jack sighed as he pulled out a black, S-shaped contraption from within the bag. Although the Reol ring had given Montgomery false memories the old professor still kept enough wits about him not to leave near-strangers unguarded at his worksite. As Steward was showing David Jansson the unearthed artifacts the rest of the group were allowed to wonder the temple and take photos for the magazine... as long as they were supervised by Savoretti and two of his goons.

"They never make it easy, do they T?"

"Indeed."

Savoretti nearly choked on his cigarette as a lightning bolt flew from the device in O'Neil's hand and struck the closest guard. Before the man even hit the ground the Chief of Security was already reaching for his Luger but Jack proved faster, placing a zat-blast straight in the middle of the Italian's chest. Courage left the final sentry as he turned to flee only to feel an electric sting slam into his back.

* * *

Awareness returned to Savoretti slowly. At first it took the form of a vague unease as he drifted out of his semi-lucid state, but it quickly transformed into panic as the memory of the old soldier with the ray-gun rose to the surface. With adrenalin washing away any remaining grogginess the guard attempted to shoot to his feet only to feel rope bite into his wrists and ankles.

Realizing he was tied up, the Italian quickly looked around to assess the situation. He found himself lying next to the rest of his men in a dark corner of the room while two of the strangers were busy at the other end of the chamber. Initially Savoretti thought it might be a trick of the flickering torch-light, but when his eyes adjusted to the surroundings he realized that part of the stone wall where the newcomers were standing was removed, revealing a large panel that pulsated with unnatural orange light.

The one called Martin Lantgrich stood stock-still by the panel with his palm outstretched towards it as if performing some arcane ritual. By contrast the grey-haired soldier was constantly moving, pacing around and bouncing rocks off the walls in an effort to fight off either boredom or nervousness.

"You know, why am I stuck here with you instead of helping Teal'c and Carter find the Big Honking Space-battery anyway?" O'Neill asked after managing to smack a wall-painting of Anubis with a well-placed stone-throw to the deity's snout.

Martin turned away from his task and glowered at O'Neill with annoyance. Even though he kept his voice steady frustration bleed through into his reply "This is the only location from which Osiris' shuttle & its many internal defense systems can be accessed remotely by someone proficient with a hand device. Since this task calls for our full concentration we are left vulnerable to outside threats and require protection. As you possess neither Samantha's intimate knowledge of Z.P.M.s nor Teal'c's familiarity with the layout of Goa'uld ships the task of staying behind and providing security has fallen to you."

Jack snorted and shook his head, throwing a pebble at the relief of Isis. "Yeah well, I'll be sure to let you know if your snaky butt is in danger, but so far the most menacing thing we've encountered are the Three Stooges over there."

Before the other man could reply a voice filled the room seemingly from nowhere. " _Sir? We got it. Tell Martauf to ring us back_."

The mood in the room shifted in an instant. The soldier stood ready while the young man returned his attention to the wall. He waved his hand and the panel grew brighter. With a metallic screech large metal rings descended from the ceiling and hovered in the air before emitting a blinding flash of light.

Savoretti was left blind for a moment but when his vision returned the rings were gone. In their place stood the Bisharin savage and the journalist's wife, proudly holding a large glowing crystal in her arms.

Overwhelmed by the sight, the Italian couldn't help but exclaim in disbelief. " _Perbacca_! -"

A second later the guard regretted his outburst as the strangers turned in his direction and realized he was awake.

"Oh, hey, you're awake!" Jack begun in an upbeat tone "Sorry about earlier but we couldn't let you fellas see what we were up to - it was for your protection."

Savoretti frowned "What is-"

"Ah-ah-ah! I know you have many questions but Marty here will take care of them, won't you?" O'Neill said as he gave Martauf a friendly slap on the back.

The younger man nodded, following the General's hint. "Very well - let me begin by explaining the karakesh." the Tok'Ra approached the flabbergasted guard with his arm outstretched, showing the hand device. The Italian could now see the stranger wore an unusual bracelet - a large, spiraling thing adorned with a palm-jewel that gave off a warm hypnotic light. Savoretti felt his strength & resolve inexplicably weaken just by looking at it's eldrich glow, yet he could not help but to stare.

"A fascinating multi-tool," Martauf continued even though the guard was hardly paying attention "the Goa'uld use it to invoke fear, to torture and to control ships. But ashrake assassins and Tok'Ra spies can also use it to induce amnesia."

Savoretti saw the device's glow brighten and the memories of the last few hours begun to evaporate like dew in the bright morning sun. His mind felt lethargic now, his body leaden and slow. Unable to resist the pull of the jewel he let the light wash over him, taking him into warm oblivion.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 **September 20, 1931**

 **Steward Expedition Campsite, Nubian Desert, Egypt**

When the heat of the day gave way to the chill desert night life at the dig-site died down. Workers and academics alike retreated to their tents for reprieve, leaving behind only a handful of watchmen to guard the camp.

Or at least that was the situation on most nights. Tonight the sentries around the storage tent were laying motionless face down in the sand.

Lantash was returning to the base when he noticed the odd sight. Most might have concluded that the guards had too much to drink that night and were passed out. But a lingering odor of ozone told the Tok'Ra a zat was to blame for this predicament.

Immediately on alert, the Tok'Ra crept closer. A cursory check showed that the guards were alive and mostly unharmed. Whomever did this knew how to stealthily use a zat yet were unwilling to kill, narrowing down the list of suspects significantly.

Without hesitation or fear Martauf entered the crate-filled tent and confirmed his suspicions. There stood Daniel Jackson, somberly examining a canopic jar by the dim light of a kerosine lamp.

"He showed them to me you know." Daniel spoke slowly without looking up. "Dr. Steward brought me here to demonstrate his 'most unusual finds'. To him they are just academic curiosities. If only he knew..."

Jackson's grip on the vessel tightened as he thought about its occupant. "It could be so simple - smash the jar here and now, kill Osiris before he can take Sarah as his host. Dr. Jordan won't have to die, Anubis will have one less underlord, the Trust won't ever be able to use Osiris's Al'kesh to launch their attacks. Millions of lives could be saved. So why do we do all we can to preserve the timeline?"

"I believe you are right Dr. Jackson."

Daniel expected a rebuke and hearing Martauf agree with him was a shock. He quickly looked up from the jar only to come face-to-face with the Tok'Ra's karakesh.

"But I'm afraid I can't let you smash that jar."

Before the stunned archeologist could act the hand device glowed & released a pulse of telepathic energy. Just as with Savoretti, Jackson's muscles instantly slackened as he entered a fugue state. All it took was a simple mental command from Martauf for Daniel to hand over Osiris and walk off to bed, never to remember what transpired.

With Jackson gone Martauf set to work.

For the S.G.C. the notion of changing the timeline was unthinkable. For the Tok'Ra it was unthinkable not to. Just like a drowning man clutching at a razor blade, a species on the brink of extinction would do almost anything to save itself.

Using a small pocket knife Martauf located a barely perceptible groove running along the jar's center. The Tok'Ra dug the blade into the seam and with a loud pop the ceramic shell split in two.

When Earth contacted the High Council requesting Tok'Ra assistance in a time-travel mission a plot was hatched. As luck would have it SG-1 planned to stay a few days with Dr. Steward so as not to raise suspicions by a sudden departure. That meant Martauf & Lantesh had plenty of time to send out their message. Names, dates, key battles, failed missions - all the information that was needed to save lives and operators was recorded on a Tollan long-range communication device. It was just a matter of sneaking out of the camp at night and releasing the information stream into the starry sky.

Without its outer ceramic layer the mimetic metal of the canopic jar glistened dully by the lamplight, leaving no question about it's alien nature. Lantesh sent a quick command through the hand device and the vessel opened, smoothly & seamlessly folding in on itself like a Jaffa's helmet. The liquid within begun to stir as Osiris woke up for the first time in millennia.

Although the information would reach the Tok'Ra world there is no guarantee they would act on it. The Council might deem it a Goa'uld trap, too fantastic to be true. The message might not even be translated to reach the Council's ears if it is seen as an equipment error - for what would a Tollan be doing sending data bursts from the edge of Ra's space? To ensure success the plan needed contingencies.

As the god squealed and thrashed in delight at its freedom a hand snatched it out of the jar. Expecting to see a Jaffa priest ready to give him a new host Osiris instead beheld a knife being pressed against his flesh. The Goa'uld gave off one last surprised squeak before Martauf bisected the squirming body.

With the gruesome act done the Tok'Ra bent over and begun to wretch. Both host and symbiote were long preparing for this moment, with Lantesh relinquishing control more and more often over the last few days as he unwound his tendrils from Martauf's brain, undoing decades worth of connections with his host. Bile mixed with blood as the back of Martauf's throat was torn open by the uncoiling process. Heaving a few more times the man spit out Lantesh's snake-like form unto the dirt floor.

Taking a moment to compose himself, the ex-host quickly picked up his helpless partner and placed him in the stasis jar. Lantesh felt his body slow as the cooling liquid of the vessel flowed over his skin, soothing the raw tendrils left bare by the removal. Settling to the bottom the Tok'Ra symbiote fell into a long slumber, awaiting the day he would be reawakened. With another command from the hand device the jar sealed itself and Martauf begun to put back the ceramic cover.

Martauf knew that if the plan went as expected he would be reunited with Lantesh upon returning to the present. But if the timeline remained unchanged than in 69 years Dr. Sarah Gardner would open this very jar. Neither Martauf nor Lantesh liked to think about that eventuality. Taking an unwilling host violated the Tok'Ra's highest law and Lantesh wasn't sure if he could break it. Yet the opportunity was there - the possibility to save countless with the future knowledge encoded into his every cell ... so long as he was willing to spit on Egeria's edict.

With the jar now whole once again Martauf gently placed it back into the crate as he left his friend in the hands of fate. The task done he stayed there for some time, praying he may see Lantesh again soon, before finally leaving to face an uncertain future.

Fin

 **Author's Note : There you have it folks, hope you enjoyed the ride. This fic was created in response to prompt number 95 ("Martouf|Lantash and SG-1, time travel to any time in Earth's past, maybe while the Goa'uld are still there") of the Tok'Ra Kree! Writing Contest (round #9).**

 **-Best regards & thanks for reading, A.A.**


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